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Who are the BBC presenters and pundits for the World Snooker Championship 2025?

Published on April 19, 2025 at 07:00 AM

The BBC have confirmed a stellar line-up of snooker legends past and present for their coverage at the Crucible.

, 33, will begin the defence of his title in Sheffield this weekend after beating Jak Jones in last year's thrilling final.

Kyren Wilson kissing the World Snooker Championship trophy.
Kyren Wilson is the reigning champion

However, he will have to overcome the Crucible curse if he is to go back-to-back.

Hazel Irvine will yet again host the BBC's coverage alongside a star-studded line-up of pundits bringing you analysis, including current professional Shaun Murphy who will compete in Sheffield alongside his media duties.

Abigail Davis will be supporting the coverage on reporting duties who you may recognise better from interviewing on the Ally Pally stage in Sky's coverage of the darts.

The BBC confirmed that all the action from the Crucible will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and on iPlayer, with coverage starting this Saturday at 10am.

Here we take a look at all of the legends who will be bringing the action to your screens over the next couple of weeks.

Who are the presenters for the World Snooker Championship 2025?

Hazel Irvine – Lead Presenter

has been one of the voices of the BBC for over three decades and has been the face of the snooker coverage since 2000.

The Scottish presenter is considered a trailblazer as one of the first females to host sports broadcasts on the BBC.

Whilst Irvine has worked across numerous sports including the Olympics and football, she is most known for her work on snooker.

Irvine herself made the announcement after The Masters final at Ally Pally back in January that the .

Hazel Irvine, BBC presenter, at the snooker championship.
Irvine has been the face of the BBC's snooker coverage since the turn of the century

Seema Jaswal – Presenter

is one of the more recent stars of sports broadcasting and features prominently across the BBC's coverage.

The 39-year-old has worked at numerous major football events.

But Jaswal is instantly recognisable to snooker fans, having supported Irvine on presenting duties for the Triple Crown events on the BBC since 2019.

Portrait of Seema Jaswal, a television sports presenter.
Jaswal has a stellar CV in sports broadcasting across football, snooker and darts

Abigail Davies – Reporter

World Darts Championship host Abigail Davies has stepped away from the oche this spring to join the BBC's team at the Crucible.

Since starting with Sky Sports in 2017, has quickly risen to the top of the presenting scene and is on reporting duties for the BBC where she will be bringing live reaction from the players at the table.

Davies is celebrated as an advocate for mental health awareness and when she was younger.

Luke Littler being interviewed after a darts match.
Davies is best known for her coverage of the darts with Sky Sports

Stephen Hendry – Pundit / Co-Comms

The seven-time World Champion has been working for the BBC as a commentator since 2013.

‘s BBC career seemed up in the air earlier this year when he was , but he is back to bring us his insight from the Crucible.

Nicknamed The King of the Crucible, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest snooker players of all time, holding the world No 1 ranking for nine seasons.

Stephen Hendry celebrates winning the 1992 Embassy World Snooker Championship. He beat Jimmy White 18–14.
Hendry winning his second World Championship in 1992

Steve Davis – Pundit / Co-Comms

Snooker pundit by day, DJ by night, is one of snooker's most recognisable faces.

The Englishman won 71 major titles across his career and even received an OBE for his services to snooker in 2000.

During the 1980's Davis won the World Championship six times but retired in 2016 and has worked on the BBC's snooker coverage since.

Alongside his media work, he has featured on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2013 and set up the electronic music group ‘The Utopia Strong', performing at Glastonbury in 2016.

Steve Davis, former multiple world champion, working for television.
Alongside his media duties, Davis DJs and performed at Glastonbury in 2016

John Parrott – Pundit / Co-Comms

The Entertainer turned his hand to media after retirement from competition at the end of the 2010-11 season and has worked on the BBC's coverage since.

The 60-year-old enjoyed a stellar career on the table, winning nine ranking events.

In 1991, won the World Championship and the UK Championship in the same year – one of only six players to ever achieve that feat.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 10: John Parrott during day four of the MrQ Masters Snooker 2024 at Alexandra Palace on January 10, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Parrott is one of only six players to win the World Championship and UK Championship in the same year

Ken Doherty – Pundit / Co-Comms

The Irishman has been a regular commentator with the BBC since the 2009 Masters after a glittering career.

won six ranking titles including the 1997 World Championship, and says he did it all with a cue he bought for £2 from his local pool club.

He even haggled the price down from a fiver, securing over 50 per cent discount.

, 55, reached the second round of qualifying for this year's tournament but lost to David Lilley.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Ken Doherty of Ireland chalks the cue in the second round match against David Lilley of England on day 5 of World Championship Qualifiers 2025 at English Institute of Sport on April 11, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images)
Doherty was beaten in the second round of qualifiers for this years tournament

John Virgo – Pundit / Co-Comms

Legendary commentator will return once again to the Crucible.

Back in 2021, JV told the Talking Snooker podcast that he and his colleague Dennis Taylor were to be , but here he is again four years on calling all the action.

A former professional himself, the 79-year-old was a semi-finalist in the World Championship in 1979, when he also won the UK Championship.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Commentator, John Virgo looks on during Day Fourteen of the Cazoo World Snooker Championship 2023 at Crucible Theatre on April 28, 2023 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Virgo is known for saying “watch that cue ball” on comms

Dennis Taylor – Pundit / Co-Comms

Joining Virgo on commentary duty will be Dennis Taylor, who has worked as a pundit since retiring from the professional tour in 2000.

Taylor, 76, famously won the 1985 World Championship, beating the reigning champion Steve Davis with .

The Northern Irishman became known for his which he claimed help him with his snooker and is no stranger to working in television.

One of his more famous TV appearances was on the third season of Strictly Come Dancing where he finished in eighth.

May 1985: Dennis Taylor of Northern Ireland in action during the Embassy World Snooker Championship Final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Taylor beat Steve Davis 18-17 in a dramatic black ball finish. \ Mandatory Credit: Adrian Murrell /Allsport
Taylor playing in the 1985 World Championship with his unique upside-down glasses on

Shaun Murphy – Pundit / Co-Comms

The Magician is set for a busy summer with a at the World Championship, after joining the BBC's team in 2023.

Murphy last won at the Crucible back in 2005, and 20 years later he is in fine form, after beating Kyren Wilson to win The Masters earlier this year.

The 42-year-old has already pocketed £800,000 in prize money this season, but that isn't stopping him from joining the BBC team away from the table where he will fill in as a pundit and commentator.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 31: Shaun Murphy of England chalks the cue in the first round match against Barry Hawkins of England on day one of 2025 Sportsbet.io Tour Championship at Manchester Central Convention Complex on March 31, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images)
Murphy will complete his media duties alongside competing in the competition
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